Struggling farmer’s huge lottery win

THE only thing struggling farmers need more than rain is cold hard cash.

And that's exactly what a drought-stricken farmer from rural NSW received after entering a Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw and taking home first prize.

The Singleton man, who has not been named, walked away with $200,000 that he said would help him and his family recover from a drought that has made life on the land almost uninhabitable.

"We've been going through the drought and things are a bit tough at the moment… we've been hanging in there," he said, according to 7 News.

"We raise cattle for the markets and it has been tough as a lot of our dams have been drying up," he explained.

"We are just like anyone who wins money really - everyone can use it towards something. But up here, in the drought, it has come at a great time."

The ticket was reportedly purchased from the Singleton Discount Drug Store. The lucky winner says he'll use the money to buy a new water tank and a water bore that he's had his sights set on for some time.

Singleton, located 197kms northwest of Sydney, sits on the banks of the Hunter River. Farmers there have been so hard hit that the local council was forced to initiate a drought assistance hub, according to local newspaper the Singleton Argus.

Singleton Mayor Sue Moore said in August that "100 per cent of NSW is now in drought" and that July was the "second hottest July on record and the driest since 2002, continuing a 15-month run of below-average rainfall across NSW".

So the timing of the Lucky Lotteries win couldn't have been better. Happy spending!